The National Society of Metal Mechanics (NSMM) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1872 and 1985.
 | |
| Merged into | Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1872 |
| Dissolved | 1985 |
| Headquarters | 70 Lionel Street, Birmingham[1] |
| Location | |
Members | 50,494 (1982)[2] |
Key people | William John Davis (General Secretary) |
| Publication | Metal Mechanics News |
| Affiliations | TUC, Labour[1] |
History edit
The organisation was founded in Birmingham in 1872 as the Amalgamated Brassworkers Society. Led for many years by William John Davis, it was soon renamed the National Society of Amalgamated Brassworkers.[3] In 1919, members rejected a proposal to join the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, and instead chose to expand the union's remit, renaming the body as the National Society of Brass and Metal Mechanics.[4] By 1920, it had 37,363 members, but it suffered during the Great Depression, and this figure fell to 15,000 by 1937.[5]
In 1985, the union merged with the Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section; at this point, its membership was 27,000.[4]
General Secretaries edit
- 1872: William John Davis
- 1883:
- 1888: William John Davis
- 1921: Arthur H. Gibbard
- 1940s: Arthur Penny
- 1955: V. M. Robus
- 1962: Frank Briggs
- 1975: J. H. Wood
- 1981: Charles P. McCarthy
References edit
- ^ a b Eaton, Jack; Gill, Colin (1981). The Trade Union Directory. London: Pluto Press. pp. 99–100. ISBN 0861043502.
- ^ Marsh, Arthur (1984). Trade Union Handbook (3 ed.). Aldershot: Gower. pp. 253–255. ISBN 0566024268.
- ^ John B. Smethurst and Peter Carter, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, Volume 6, p.221
- ^ a b John B. Smethurst and Peter Carter, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, Volume 6, p.229
- ^ G. D. Miller, "Trade Unionism in the Engineering Industry", in: British Trade Unionism To-Day, p.362